St. Louis officer shoots, wounds armed 16-year-old

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Police say a St. Louis officer has shot and wounded a 16-year-old who ran toward the officer with a gun.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the teen sustained a serious wound to his stomach and was taken to a hospital. The teen also was struck Saturday night in the arm, and his head was grazed.

Police Chief Sam Dotson says officers responded to a housing complex after a woman called to report that she saw someone she suspected of stealing her .40-caliber pistol. The chief says two young people ran from one group of officers before encountering more officers.

Dotson says one of the officers saw a gun in the teen's hand and fired because he "believed the gun was pointed at him" and "feared for his safety."